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RayF
22212
May 28, 2018
Isn’t it interesting that folks are so willing to dump fairly large sums of dough into Audio equipment they’ve never actually heard, but have only *heard* about?
Are we as consumers too trusting of Audio reviews? Are the recommendations we rely on actually reliable? Are our sound expectations reasonable? How often do we end up disappointed vs elated? Will Mike reach musical Nirvana when all his gear finally arrives?
Tune into this channel to find out the answers to these questions and more!
hidefjunky
12
Jun 2, 2018
RayFYou BET I will Ray. In fact I'm within arms reach right now. Here's what I've acquired thus far; Sennheiser GSX1000 Mayflower ARC Sennheiser GSP500 Audio Technica Ath-ADG1X Mass Senns HD6XX [incoming :) ] . I would say I'm really close. This set I'll use primarily for music, movies, and maybe a bit of HD gaming bliss. Whatever sound sig tickles my fancy for that day. Because, afterall gang, it's all about the "CANS". . . right?
Oh and to answer your ponder about how we as consumers trusting reviews. Why not? Plus we are not only trusting reviews here Ray, but we are also believing in the proof of history. History in what these cans have achieved with numerous tests, reviews, YT reviews, comments from people in the audio industry. . .the list goes on. So ya, I do trust. Ever since I've gotten into tech, PC's, gaming, etc., I've ONLY bought items that I've researched through YT reviews, articles, etc. And you know what?....I've never gone wrong . . . not once. Not once have I ever been disappointed with a product I have purchased.
RayF
22212
Jun 2, 2018
hidefjunkyGlad to hear you're the trusting sort, and glad you've never been disappointed. On the other hand, until we can actually find and listen to these items locally--before we buy them, what alternative do we have?
hidefjunky
12
Jun 3, 2018
RayFExactly Ray, I know what you mean. However, I saw a YT vid a while back that did an audio spectrometer on the sound signature the Massdrop's produced. And believe it or not, the sound sigs are almost IDENTICAL !! No BS man. I believe the guts of these cans are Senns, [the housing, grills, headband, cables, ear cushions, etc] are by Massdrop.
RayFFor one, most people simply don’t have access to higher end headphones, and their only choice is to find a reviewer who wrote about headphones they are familiar with and agree with their taste, and then try something the other had a good experience with. It’s more educated than just a guess, but there still have been some surprises for me along the way. Going to CanJam RMAF in Denver 2015 was an ear-opening experience for me, letting me actually try out the best offerings on the market for myself. That trip across the United States also cemented my passion for headphones!
I didn‘t see the original thread post (just RayF’s post pondering the nature of headphone reviews), but I will say I have been to Sennheiser’s headquarters, and the HD 6XX are totally Sennheiser all the way (including headband and cushions, etc), exactly the same as the HD 650 except for the color and accessories, made for Massdrop and the community here, originally conceived as a limited time deal.
@hidefjunky I agree with you, sometimes you have to go on a little faith, but most reviewers try really hard and are very careful in sharing their observations (unless they parrot others), and they’re putting their work out there exposed for all to see. I think it’s usually obvious to see a well-written review and the thought put into them, or when someone is too brief or just sputtering their excitement. In the end, reviews are work, and I appreciate the effort and contributions to the community. In the case of the HD 650 and HD 6XX, there are SO MANY reviews that it’s easy to get an idea of what remains consistent.
The HD 650 surprised me a touch, actually. From the way detractors acted, I expected this warm, syrupy, midbass-almost-like-mainstream sound, almost like a refined Bose, but it wasn’t like that at all. You’ll find it in-between the GSP 500 and the ATH-GD1x, with more solidity than the AT yet not with the hype of the GSP, feeling more balanced than either of those and also less strain to produce the nuances than either of those. A mild coloration from neutral, in that it’s pretty natural feeling and detailed but that unstrained nature makes it NOT brutally revealing of upstream gear flaws. To make a metaphor, it’s like me lifting and carrying a heavy box versus someone who has already been lifting weights for months, the HD 650 is just able to do things with confidence and authority.
The surround DSP from the GSX 1000 sounds great with the HD 650, giving you that speaker-like out of your head effect, though the HD 650 has more authority when you connect a stronger amp inbetween the headphone and GSX. Is the ARC an amp?
RayF
22212
Jun 3, 2018
EvshrugOnly to clarify--in my original comment I was referring to all audio equipment, not just headphones, but more narrowly, the kind of audio equipment you can't hear/audition at your local stereo shop. Which coincidently is exactly the kind of stuff sold here on MD. And MD's social network/marketing concept is probably the only way this sort of equipment could be sold in reasonably large quantities. Yes, you can buy a lot of it on Amazon, but only if you're aware of it to begin with. It's pretty obvious (from the comments) there are a lot of first-time audio buyers here, and it's equally obvious they are influenced buy the comments and reviews they read and repeat in MDs echo-chamber environment. I acknowledge there are more sophisticated review sites, but the concept is still the same.
Imagine trying to buy a television based solely on verbal descriptions of the picture quality and color gamut--as opposed to viewing models side by side at BestBuy. When you consider the word-salad of adjectives used to convey audio quality on this site, I can only imagine how that would translate to the visual--but I suspect it would be at least as humorous to read through...
hidefjunky
12
Jun 3, 2018
EvshrugHi EV, [names Mike btw :) ]. Thanks so much for your definition. I am by no means an audiophile. But I DO KNOW what I like and what I expect. Realllly like your def on the sound sig. I will "look" for that signature when I get mine. Mine 6xx's should be arriving late this week or Mon Tue next week. They are in Edison NJ right now.
In answer to your question about the ARC; YESSIR it sure is ! In fact, it's one helluva kicka$$ amp to say the least. They are handmade by a small company nearrrrrr New Jersey I think?.....But they drive high end cans like the HD650's like a formula 1 race car driver does to a Ferrari. I've had it for about a month now and I absolutely LOVE it.
Dude, you HAVE to read about it and watch a few YT videos on it. In fact, go to the Mayflower website and see it for yourself. It's design is very minimalistic, in fact, looks like it came from RadioShack LOL ! But trust me man, it's not.
Do me a favor and let me know when you get yours, as I will too.
hidefjunkyHey Mike, that’s my middle name! But you’re right, you can call me Ev. But I’m pretty easygoing about it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have my HD 650 (equivalent to the HD 6XX) already! But it sounds like you have a lot of good stuff from NJ or on the way from NJ soon ;) I’ll check out the Mayflower sometime, maybe at a meet, but I already have a Cavalli Liquid Carbon (pre-Massdrop) and this baby:
search
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/digital-headphones-amplifier-hdv-820
But I totally get where you’re coming from; a higher-end, carefully made amp can firmly grip the drivers of your headphone and control them to reveal new heights of scale, impact, and just fidelity in general.
Your headphone might arrive today (or yesterday)! What is the first song for your HD 6XX? I made a playlist of some songs that play to the HD 650’s strengths on Spotify, I think these are fun: https://open.spotify.com/user/evshrug/playlist/1ayeHWCdxJzNNzDVORlcTt?si=KJR9jC_oT2-9jIkUeviIfQ

@RayF I’m trying to Master the Salad... both in audio description and a better consistent diet. I totally “get” you about wanting that hands-on experience. I think CanJams and smaller local meets are the best places to try out headphones for a first impression. You get to hear them, usually on an optimized setup so you get to quickly gauge what the headphone (or other piece of gear) is capable of, without the guilt of going to Best Buy with the full intent to price hunt 😅 Even if you do decide to buy, CanJams usually have promo pricing. The past two years, I really felt taking a weekend off and a 7 hour bus ride over to New York City in Feburary was really worth it! ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE! Lol.
Still haven’t settled on a knife 🤣 You see that Spyderco Smock from Blade 2018? Would love to see that on Massdrop, HA!
RayF
22212
Jun 6, 2018
EvshrugMay well give one of the CanJams a shot at some point. Not a fan of crowds, but have nothing against promo pricing and hi-end demos ;- )
Hadn't heard of that particular Spyderco but I did look it up. Preorders here for $167-ish:
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco-Smock-Flipper-Knife-Carbon--81450
Little video of the mechanism here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeVa82uHI1c/?hl=en
Cheers!
RayFYup, love that the flipper doesn’t stick out to the side of the handle (easier to access the rest of the pocket that way), and the modified Compression lock. Looks like a smooth flipper! Hopefully it’s a titch thinner than the custom Smock.
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